The Japan Foundation funds grants for projects that promote understanding of Japanese arts and culture. The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA) accepts applications for projects that take place in the United States within the 13 states west of the Rocky Mountains.

Note: The Japan Foundation, New York (JFNY) accepts applications for grants to support arts and culture projects in the 37 states east of the Rockies. Each office has a separate website and application. See the related grant information for JFNY.

The JFLA grant is open to qualified nonprofit organizations in the designated states. To be eligible for consideration, a project must be intended to educate about Japanese arts and culture; or to produce collaboration between America and Japan through performing arts, exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, symposia, and other cultural events.

Projects that have already been funded by a JFLA grant are not eligible for additional grants, and nonprofit organizations that received a grant from the JFLA in the previous fiscal year may apply but are given lower priority. Projects related to science, technology, and medicine are not funded through the program. Japanese language projects are not eligible for an arts and culture grant, but may be funded through another grant program administered through the JFLA. (See the entries on Japanese language grants available from the foundation.)

The JFLA grant application is available online. The application requires information about the sponsoring nonprofit organization and the proposed project, including an estimated budget in dollars. The foundation prefers projects that have other funders in addition to the Japan Foundation. Completed applications and all supporting documentation must be sent by mail to the contact address and received at least three months before the scheduled start of a project.

Grants cover expenses such as publicity, printing costs for programs, honoraria and travel expenses for artists and lecturers, shipping cost of materials, and facilities fees related to an event. Grants are paid in the form of reimbursement for such expenses.